CN114908329B

CN114908329B - Correction method and semiconductor manufacturing apparatus

Info

Publication number: CN114908329B
Application number: CN202110172562.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 吴伟豪; 吴昇颖; 林明贤
Original assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSMC Ltd
Current assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSMC Ltd
Priority date: 2021-02-08
Filing date: 2021-02-08
Publication date: 2024-03-08
Anticipated expiration: 2041-02-08
Also published as: CN114908329A

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a correction method and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, the correction method including the following operations. The transparent shielding disc is placed on the bearing platform by using the mechanical arm, wherein the transparent shielding disc comprises a plurality of scales which are equally arranged on the arc-shaped edge adjacent to the transparent shielding disc, and the first diameter of the transparent shielding disc is larger than the second diameter of the bearing platform. And observing whether the edge of the bearing platform is aligned with a plurality of scales of the transparent shielding disc. And when the edge of the bearing platform is not aligned with the scales of the transparent shielding disc, adjusting parameters of the mechanical arm.

Description

Correction method and semiconductor manufacturing apparatus

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a calibration method and to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

Background

Semiconductor devices are widely used in various electronic devices, such as smart phones, tablets, computers, and the like. With the advancement of semiconductor technology, the integration density of integrated circuits (Integrated Circuit, ICs) in semiconductor devices has been continuously increased, and the size of integrated circuits has been continuously reduced, so as to meet the demands of miniaturization, high efficiency, low power consumption, and the like. The fabrication of semiconductor devices involves a number of processes in which physical vapor deposition (physical vapor deposition) techniques are commonly used to deposit dielectric, metal and semiconductor layers.

Disclosure of Invention

The present disclosure provides a correction method including the following operations. The transparent shielding disc is placed on the bearing platform by using the mechanical arm, wherein the transparent shielding disc comprises a plurality of scales which are equally arranged on the arc-shaped edge adjacent to the transparent shielding disc, and the first diameter of the transparent shielding disc is larger than the second diameter of the bearing platform. And observing whether the edge of the bearing platform is aligned with a plurality of scales of the transparent shielding disc. And when the edge of the bearing platform is not aligned with the scales of the transparent shielding disc, adjusting parameters of the mechanical arm.

The present disclosure provides a correction method including the following operations. The transparent shielding disc is placed on the bearing platform by using a mechanical arm, wherein the transparent shielding disc comprises a plurality of scales. And observing whether the edge of the bearing platform is aligned with a plurality of scales of the transparent shielding disc. When the edge of the bearing platform is aligned with a plurality of scales of the transparent shielding disc, parameters of the mechanical arm are recorded. The shutter disk is placed on the carrying platform by using the recorded parameters of the mechanical arm to execute the cleaning operation. The wafer is placed on a load-bearing platform to execute a deposition process.

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including a transparent shutter disk, a robot arm, and a carrier stage. The transparent shielding plate is provided with a plurality of scales, wherein the scales are equally arranged on the arc-shaped edge adjacent to the transparent shielding plate. The mechanical arm is used for transporting the transparent shielding plate, wherein the mechanical arm comprises a screw fixed on the support frame. The bearing platform is used for bearing the transparent shielding disc.

Drawings

The detailed description of the present disclosure will be fully understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, in accordance with industry standard practice, the features are not drawn to scale and are for illustration purposes only. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or decreased for clarity of discussion.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate top views of shutter disk mechanisms according to some embodiments of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate cross-sectional views of shutter disk mechanisms according to some embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate top views of transparent shutter disks according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 7A-7E illustrate top views of shutter disk mechanisms according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[ symbolic description ]

100 semiconductor manufacturing apparatus

110 chamber

110A side housing

110B bottom shell

110C opening

111a, 111b inner side wall

111c upper side wall

112 pump

114 crankshaft

116a, 116b drive mechanism

118 flange

119 concave structure

120 bearing platform

120a edge

122, shading disk

122a edge

124 transparent shading disk

126 plug pin holes

128 holes

129 side wall

130 chamber mask

130A opening

130B convex portion

132 deposition ring

133 groove

134 cover ring

134A inclined surface

134B concave portion

140 lifter

142 plug pin

150 gas supply unit

160 target element

162 plasma

170 power supply

180 magnetic field control device

200-shading disc mechanism

210 mechanical arm

212 airfoil

212A screw

213 support pad

214 alignment feature

216 path

218 first endpoint

219 second endpoint

410 upper surface

420 lower surface

600a arc edge

600b straight edge

610 scale mark

620 arc scale

630 first scale

640 second scale

650 opening(s)

C1, C2, C3 center point

d1 distance

D1, D2, D3 diameter

S-shaft element

X, Y, Z direction of

θ ₁ 、θ ₂ Included angle of

Detailed Description

The following disclosure describes various exemplary embodiments to perform the different features of the subject. Specific examples of components or arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. Of course, these examples are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, it will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or one or more intervening elements may be present.

Further, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition itself is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

Further, spatially relative terms, such as "under," "lower," "above," "upper," and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element (or elements) or feature (or features) illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the element in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

The deposition process can be divided into physical vapor deposition (physical vapor deposition) and chemical vapor deposition (chemical vapor deposition), the main difference between which is whether there is a chemical reaction mechanism. Physical vapor deposition can be categorized into evaporation (evapration), sputtering (sputtering), and ion plating (ion plating) deposition. The sputtering deposition is performed by introducing inert gas such as argon (Ar) into a vacuum sealed chamber, applying high voltage between anode and cathode to ionize the inert gas, and dissociating the Ar into Ar ions (Ar) ⁺ ) Which may also be referred to as plasma (plasma), then argon ions are directed at the metal target of the cathode with high energy so that particles (e.g., metal particles) on the target surface are impacted and deposited on the substrate surface.

Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 is, for example, a physical vapor deposition sputtering (physical vapor deposition sputtering; PVD sputtering) apparatus. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a chamber 110, a load table 120, a chamber shield 130, a lifter 140, a gas supply unit 150, a target element 160, a power supply 170, and a magnetic field control device 180. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 will be further described below, and for the sake of brevity, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 illustrated in fig. 1 does not show some elements.

The chamber 110 is a plasma process chamber adapted to generate a plasma in the chamber 110 and perform a physical vapor deposition sputtering process (hereinafter referred to as a deposition process) in the chamber 110. The chamber 110 is surrounded by a side housing 110A and a bottom housing 110B and has an opening 110C, and other components are included above the opening 110C so that the chamber 110 is an airtight space. In detail, the inner sidewall 111a of the side case 110A and the inner sidewall 111B of the bottom case 110B constitute a space of the chamber 110. In more detail, the upper side wall 111c of the side housing 110A is connected to a plurality of elements (e.g., the flange 118), and the inner side wall 111B of the bottom housing 110B is connected to a plurality of elements (e.g., the pump 112, the crankshaft 114, the driving mechanism 116a, and the driving mechanism 116B), which will be further described below.

As shown in fig. 1, the pump 112, the crankshaft 114, the driving mechanism 116a, and the driving mechanism 116B are connected to the inner side wall 111B of the bottom case 110B. The pump 112 communicates with an exhaust device (not shown) for exhausting the air inside the chamber 110 to the outside of the chamber 110. The other side of the crankshaft 114 is coupled to a load platform 120. The drive mechanism 116a may be, for example, a motor, and in some embodiments, the drive mechanism 116a may be electrically coupled to the power supply 170. In some embodiments, the drive mechanism 116a may drive the spindle 114 such that the platen 120 is moved up and down (Z direction) before or after the deposition process. In some embodiments, the platen 120 rotates about the spindle 114 to improve uniformity of film deposition. The driving mechanism 116b is connected to the lifter 140, and is used for controlling the lifter 140 to lift.

The chamber 110 also includes an exhaust (not shown) in communication with the chamber 110 to provide a low pressure environment during the deposition process. In some embodiments, the low pressure environment may have a gas pressure of about 1 Torr (torr) to about 10 Torr ^-3 Between the range of tolls, or about 10 ^-3 Toll to about 10 ^-5 The range of tolls is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the exhaust includes a pump 112 and a gas controller. It should be understood that fig. 1 only shows pump 112, and does not show the complete exhaust and/or gas controller.

In addition, a flange 118 is attached to the upper side wall 111c of the side case 110A. The flange 118 has a recess structure 119 for mounting a chamber shield 130. In detail, the chamber shield 130 is disposed within the chamber 110 using the recess structure 119 of the flange 118 and a fixing means, such as a screw.

The carrier stage 120 is configured to support a shadow disk 122 or wafer (not shown) within the chamber 110. In some embodiments, the carrier stage 120 may be an electrostatic chuck (also referred to as an electrostatic chuck electrostatic chuck, E-chuck) that may be electrically coupled to the power supply 170, the electrostatic chuck providing an electrostatic attraction force of opposite charge to the shadow disk 122 or wafer to secure the shadow disk 122 or wafer to the carrier stage 120. In some embodiments, the load platform 120 may be one or more heaters (e.g., resistive heating elements) that may be used to improve the uniformity of film deposition and/or to facilitate the progress of the deposition reaction.

The lifter 140 is configured to place a shutter disk 122 or wafer on the load platform 120 onto the load platform 120 from a space above the load platform 120. Before performing the actual deposition process, the shutter disk 122 is placed on the stage 120 to perform the cleaning operation, and the shutter disk 122 can prevent the contamination during the cleaning operation from running onto the stage 120. In some embodiments, the cleaning operation may be, for example, a burn-in process, using the plasma 162 in the chamber 110 to remove oxide or other contaminants from the target element 160. After the cleaning operation is completed, the shutter disk 122 is removed from the platen 120, and the wafer is placed on the platen 120 to perform a final deposition process. In more detail, before performing the cleaning operation, the shutter disk 122 is transported to the interior of the chamber 110 by the robot 210, and the shutter disk 122 is moved to a space above the carrier 120 (when the shutter disk 122 is not in contact with the carrier 120). Then, the lifter 140 is lifted up, so that a plurality of pins 142 on the lifter 140 pass through the pin holes 126 (shown in fig. 2 to 3) on the carrier 120 and press against the shutter disk 122 located on the carrier 120, at this time, the robot 210 (shown in fig. 2 to 5) moves away from above the carrier 120, and finally the lifter 140 with the pins 142 moves down slowly, so that the shutter disk 122 contacts the carrier 120 to complete the placement of the shutter disk 122. In some embodiments, the elevator 140 and the drive mechanism 116b are electrically coupled to a power supply 170. It should be appreciated that the above operation of placing shutter disk 122 on carrier platform 120 is referred to as the robotic arm 210 automated mode. In some embodiments, the position of the lifter 140 may be fine-tuned by adjusting parameters of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100. Gas and its preparation method The supply unit 150 is configured to communicate with the chamber 110 of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100, and may introduce a sputtered working gas into the chamber 110. In some embodiments, the sputtered working gas may be nitrogen (N ₂ ) Argon (Ar), oxygen (O) ₂ ) Ammonia (NH) ₃ ) Neon (Ne) or a mixture of the above gases. In some embodiments, the gas supply unit 150 further comprises a gas tank (not shown) and a dc controller (not shown) for controlling the gas flowing into the chamber 110 from the gas tank.

The target 160 is disposed over the opening 110C of the chamber 110. In detail, the lower peripheral of the target element 160 is connected to the insulator 164, and the insulator 164 is connected to the flange 118, as shown in fig. 1. In more detail, an insulator 164 is disposed between the target element 160 and the flange 118 to electrically isolate the target element 160 from the flange 118. In some embodiments, the target element 160 includes a target holder (not shown), a target (not shown) for providing a material to be deposited on a wafer, and a conductive substrate (not shown). In some embodiments, the target may comprise a metallic material, for example, gold (Au), titanium (Ti), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), tantalum (Ta), cobalt (Co), tungsten (W), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), or alloys of the foregoing metals. In some embodiments, the target may comprise an alloy, oxide, or nitride, for example, titanium nitride (TiN), titanium Tungsten (TiW), aluminum nitride (AlN), aluminum oxide (Al ₂ O ₃ ) Silicon oxide (SiO) ₂ ) Silicon nitride (SiN), boron Nitride (BN), titanium oxide (TiO) ₂ ) Tantalum oxide (TaO) _x ) Hafnium oxide (HfO) ₂ ) Combinations of the above or the like.

The power supply 170 is disposed outside the chamber 110, and is configured to electrically connect to the target element 160, as shown in fig. 1. In some embodiments, the power supply 170 is a Direct Current (DC) power supply or a Radio Frequency (RF) power supply, wherein the conductive substrate of the target element 160 is a cathode and the conductive substrate (not shown) of the carrier 120 is an anode. For example, a high voltage is applied between the cathode and the anode to form a high electric field, so that the working gas in the chamber 110 (e.g.Electrons within, e.g., ar) are ionized by obtaining high energy (e.g., ar dissociates into Ar) ⁺ ) Thereby forming a plasma 162 between the target element 160 and the carrier stage 120. Then, a positively charged gas (e.g., ar) is supplied to the plasma 162 ⁺ ) Since the high energy is provided under a high electric field and bombards the surface of the metal target, particles (e.g., metal particles) on the surface of the target are impacted and deposited on the wafer surface, thereby forming a thin film of material. In some embodiments, the power supply 170 is further electrically connected to the driving mechanism 116a, the driving mechanism 116b, and the carrying platform 120.

The magnetic field control device 180 is disposed outside of the chamber 110 or on the other side of the target element 160, as shown in fig. 1. The magnetic field control device 180 is used to generate a magnetic field adjacent to the target 160 during the deposition process, which can help to increase the deposition efficiency during deposition. In detail, the magnetic field and the electric field between the two conductive substrates (the conductive substrate of the target element 160 and the conductive substrate of the carrier platform 120) have electromagnetic effects, and the moving track of electrons in the plasma 162 is affected by the electromagnetic force generated by the electromagnetic effects, so that the probability of ionization of gas molecules in the plasma 162 is increased, and more ions strike the target to sputter more particles to deposit on the wafer surface. In some embodiments, the magnetic field control device 180 includes one or more electromagnets and a control module that switches the electromagnets.

With continued reference to fig. 1, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 further includes a chamber mask (chamber shielding) 130, a deposition ring (deposition ring) 132, and a cover ring (cover ring) 134.

The chamber mask 130 is disposed between the inner sidewall 111a of the chamber 110 and the platen 120, and the chamber mask 130 is spaced apart from the inner sidewall 111a by a certain distance without touching, wherein the chamber mask 130 is configured to prevent or reduce contamination of other devices from sputtering particles during the deposition process. As disclosed above, the chamber shield 130 is secured in the recess structure 119 of the flange 118. In more detail, the chamber mask 130 has a circular opening 130A, and the circular opening 130A surrounds the loading platform 120 and is spaced apart from the loading platform 120 by a distance without contact. In some embodiments, the chamber mask 130 is made of a non-conductive material, such as a ceramic material.

The deposition ring 132 is disposed around the platen 120 to cover the exposed portion of the platen 120, as shown in fig. 1. The deposition ring 132 is configured to prevent or reduce contamination of the sputtering particles by the load table 120 during the deposition process. In detail, the deposition ring 132 has a hollow ring structure, and the deposition ring 132 has a groove 133 to reduce arc discharge generated between the deposition ring 132 and the shadow disk 122 during the deposition process. In some embodiments, the deposition ring 132 is made of a metallic material. In some embodiments, the position of the deposition ring 132 may be fine-tuned by adjusting parameters of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100.

The cover ring 134 is disposed above the deposition ring 132 and the chamber shield 130 and has an inclined surface 134A with an outer high and an inner low, as shown in fig. 1. The cover ring 134 is configured to reduce contamination from the load-bearing platform 120 to particle sputtering during the deposition process. In detail, the cover ring 134 covers at least a portion (e.g., an outer edge portion) of the deposition ring 132 to prevent or reduce sputtered particles in the deposition process from running elsewhere in the chamber 110, such as the gap between the deposition ring 132 and the chamber shield 130. In more detail, the cover ring 134 is a hollow ring structure and has a recess 134B. The recess 134B of the cover ring 134 is opposite to the protrusion 130B of the chamber mask 130, so as to prevent or reduce leakage of the plasma 162 by the structure of the recess 134B and the protrusion 130B. Is mounted within the chamber 110 by a carrier (not shown) that can be used to adjust the position of the cover ring 134 to perform a deposition process at a desired location. In some embodiments, the deposition ring 132 is made of a metallic material. In some embodiments, the position of the cover ring 134 may be fine-tuned by adjusting parameters of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100.

Referring to fig. 2 and 3, fig. 2 and 3 are top views of shutter disk mechanism 200 according to some embodiments of fig. 1 of the present disclosure. Shutter disk mechanism 200 includes robot 210, shutter disk 122, and carrier stage 120. The robot 210 includes a tab 212 and a support pad 213. The fins 212 and support pads 213 of the robot 210 are used to transport the shutter disk 122. It should be appreciated that the fins 212 and support pads 213 of the robot 210 are located on the shutter disk 122, and thus, the shutter disk 122 is shown in phantom in fig. 2. Before deposition, the shutter disk 122 is placed on the stage 120 by the robot 210 to perform a cleaning operation, and the shutter disk 122 can prevent contaminants from running onto the stage 120 during the cleaning operation. In some embodiments, shutter disk 122 is made of a metallic material.

It should be noted that the carrier 120 shown in fig. 2 has three pin holes 126, however, other numbers of pin holes 126 are also included in the present disclosure. Additionally, it should be appreciated that pins 142 of FIG. 1 are positioned in pin holes 126 of FIG. 2 when shutter disk 122 is placed on load platform 120.

In some embodiments, the robot 210 further includes a shaft S and a plurality of screws 212A disposed at one end of the fins 212. The shaft S is used to connect the tabs 212 and may rotate the tabs 212 for horizontal or vertical movement of the tabs 212, for example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, to move the shutter disk 122 over the load platform 120. The screw 212A is disposed around the shaft S for fixing the tab 212. In some embodiments, the adjustment of tab 212 may be performed by adjusting the tightness of screw 212A.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the shutter disk mechanism 200 further includes at least one sensor 220 and a carrier 222, wherein the at least one carrier 222 is disposed on the inner sidewall 111a of the chamber 110, and the sensor 220 is fixed on the carrier 222. The sensor 220 is used to provide an indication of the shutter disk 122 and the robot 210 under the shutter disk 122. In detail, the alignment feature 214 of the support pad 213 of the robot 210 is aligned with the center point C1 of the shutter disk 122, the shutter disk 122 is supported by the support pad 213, and then the robot 210 with the shutter disk 122 moves the shutter disk 122 onto the carrier 120 (when the shutter disk 122 is not in contact with the carrier 120) via the path 216, as shown in fig. 3. Subsequently, the lifter 140 is lifted, such that the pins 142 on the lifter 140 pass through the pin holes 126 on the carrier 120 and press against the shutter disk 122 located on the carrier 120, at this time, the robot 210 is moved away from above the carrier 120, and finally the lifter 140 with the pins 142 slowly moves downward, so that the shutter disk 122 contacts the carrier 120, thereby completing the placement of the shutter disk 122.

Referring to fig. 4, fig. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a shutter disk mechanism 200 according to some embodiments of fig. 2 and 3. In detail, fig. 4 is a sectional view of the support pad 213 of the robot 210 supporting the shutter disk 122. The alignment feature 214 is cylindrical-like in shape, the alignment feature 214 having a first end 218 and a second end 219. The first end 218 is embedded in the support pad 213 of the robot 210. The second end 219 is opposite to the first end 218 and disposed in the hole 128 of the shutter disk 122, and the second end 219 is used to align with the hole 128. In some embodiments, the second end 219 may be chamfer, rounded or tapered in shape. In some embodiments, the aperture 128 has a flared sidewall 129. In some embodiments, the upper surface 410 of the support pad 213 is substantially parallel to and in contact with the lower surface 420 of the shutter disk 122, so that the left and right sides of the shutter disk 122 are at the same horizontal level.

Referring to fig. 5, fig. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a shutter disk mechanism 200 according to some embodiments of fig. 2 and 3. In detail, fig. 5 shows that the shutter disk 122 is not uniformly placed on the support pad 213 of the robot 210, resulting in a horizontal level shift (high side and low side) of the shutter disk 122. In some embodiments, the upper surface 410 of the robot 210 is substantially non-parallel to the lower surface 420 of the shutter disk 122, and therefore, the left and right sides of the shutter disk 122 have different horizontal levels. If the situation as shown in fig. 5 occurs, when the support pad 213 moves above the carrier 120 and the pins 142 pass through the pin holes 126 on the carrier 120 to support the shutter disk 122, a slight displacement of the shutter disk 122 may be caused, so that the pins 142 are not aligned accurately when the shutter disk 122 is placed down (for example, the center point C1 of the shutter disk 122 is not aligned with the center point C2 of the carrier 120).

In some embodiments, when the center point C1 of the shutter disk 122 is aligned with the center point C2 of the carrier 120, and the horizontal level of the shutter disk 122 is not shifted (i.e. the left and right sides of the shutter disk 122 are at the same horizontal level), it is called that the shutter disk 122 is accurately aligned. In some embodiments, if the center point C1 of the shutter disk 122 is not aligned with the center point C2 of the carrier 120, or the horizontal level of the shutter disk 122 is shifted, the shutter disk 122 is not aligned accurately. It should be noted that when shutter disk 122 is properly aligned, edge 122a of shutter disk 122 is positioned over the notch of deposition ring 132 (as shown in FIG. 1), and edge 122a is not in contact with deposition ring 132. When shutter disk 122 is not properly aligned, edge 122a of shutter disk 122 may contact deposition ring 132, thereby affecting the cleaning operation prior to actual deposition.

However, the above-described process of moving the shutter disk 122 onto the carrier platform 120 may deviate from the desired alignment (e.g., the center point C1 of the shutter disk 122 is not aligned with the center point C2 of the carrier platform 120, or the horizontal level of the shutter disk 122 is shifted). In some embodiments, the misalignment may be due to a lifter 140 misalignment, a plurality of pin holes 126 misalignment, a cover ring 134 misalignment, a deposition ring 132, or an alignment feature 214 misalignment, or other reasons.

In some embodiments, when there is less than expected alignment of shutter disk 122 (e.g., edge 122a of shutter disk 122 is in contact with deposition ring 132), arcing alarm (arcing alarm) may occur during the cleaning operation due to charge buildup. In some embodiments, an arc warning is triggered when the arc builds up to a certain extent, such as greater than about 2000 kwh.

In some embodiments, the deposition ring 132 and the cover ring 134 receive a large amount of sputtered particles, thus reducing the sputtered particles from running onto other components. However, since the shutter disk 122, the deposition ring 132 and the cover ring 134 are all made of metal materials, an arc may be generated.

The present disclosure provides a correction method that can avoid arcing warning due to the fact that the shutter disk 122 is not properly aligned with the carrier stage 120 by placing the transparent shutter disk 124 on the carrier stage 120 for correction. In detail, before the shutter disk 122 is placed on the carrier platform 120, the automatic mode of the robot 210 is performed by the transparent shutter disk 124 to calibrate the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100, after calibration is completed, the automatic mode of the robot 210 is performed by the shutter disk 122 to perform the cleaning operation of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100, and finally, after the cleaning operation is completed, the final deposition process is performed. It should be appreciated that the robot 210 automated mode may place the shutter disk 122 on the carrier platform 120 or the transparent shutter disk 124 on the carrier platform 120. In some embodiments, the correction method comprises the following operations. The transparent shielding disc is placed on the bearing platform by using the mechanical arm, wherein the transparent shielding disc comprises a plurality of scales which are equally arranged on the arc-shaped edge adjacent to the transparent shielding disc, and the first diameter of the transparent shielding disc is larger than the second diameter of the bearing platform. And observing whether the edge of the bearing platform is aligned with a plurality of scales of the transparent shielding disc. And when the edge of the bearing platform is not aligned with the scales of the transparent shielding disc, adjusting parameters of the mechanical arm. In addition, the calibration method in some embodiments may be performed at the time of installation, maintenance, or repair of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100. The structure of the transparent shutter disk 124 will be discussed below.

Referring to fig. 6A and 6B, a top view of a transparent shutter disk 124 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. As shown in fig. 6A, the transparent shutter disk 124 is approximately three-quarters circular centered about a center point C3 and has a diameter D1, and the transparent shutter disk 124 includes an arcuate edge 600a and a straight edge 600b. The two linear edges 600b form an opening 650, and the opening 650 has an included angle θ ₁ . In some embodiments, the angle θ ₁ May be about 0 to about 180 degrees, for example, about 45 to about 135 degrees, about 75 to about 105 degrees. However, the included angle θ of other angles ₁ And are included within the scope of the present disclosure. The transparent shutter disk 124 has a center point C3 and a scale 610. The scale 610 includes an arcuate scale 620, a first scale 630, and a second scale 640. Referring to FIG. 6B, FIGS. 6B and 6A have similar structures, except that the transparent shutter disk 124 of FIG. 6B has a complete circular shape, i.e., an included angle θ ₁ At 0 degrees, there is no opening 650 as shown in fig. 6A. In some embodiments, the material of the transparent shutter disk 124 is acrylic (acrylic).

The arcuate scale 620 has a diameter D2, the arcuate scale 620 is arcuate about a center point C3, and the arcuate scale 620 is spaced apart from the arcuate edge 600a by a distance D1, i.e., the diameter D1 is spaced apart from the diameter D2 by a distance D1, as shown in fig. 6A and 6B. In some embodiments, diameter D1 is about 250mm to about 350mm, such as about 260, about 270, about 280, about 290, about 300, about 310, about 320, about 330, about 340mm. In some embodiments, the distance d1 is about 0.5 to about 1.5 cm, e.g., about 0.8, about 1.0, about 1.2 cm.

The first scale 630 is a scale passing through the center point C3, having a length of diameter D1, and intersecting the arcuate edge 600a, as shown in fig. 6A and 6B. In some embodiments, the transparent shutter disk 124 includes two first scales 630, the two first scales 630 intersect at a center point C3, and the two first scales 630 form an included angle θ ₂ . In some embodiments, the angle θ ₂ About 75 degrees to about 105 degrees, such as about 80, about 85, about 90, about 95, about 100 degrees.

The second scale 640 is located on the first scale 630 adjacent to the arcuate edge 600a as shown in fig. 6A and 6B. The second scale 640 has a plurality of small scales, each of which is spaced apart by a distance d1. It should be noted that fig. 6A and 6B show four second scales 640, and each second scale 640 includes seven small scales, however, the number of small scales is merely an example, and other numbers of small scales are also included in the disclosure. In some embodiments, transparent shutter disk 124 contains four second graduations 640.

In some embodiments, the transparent shutter disk 124 includes one arcuate scale 620, two first scales 630, and four second scales 640, and the four second scales 640 intersect one of the first scales 630 and the arcuate scale 620.

The present disclosure provides a calibration method for calibrating a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 using a transparent shutter disk 124. In detail, the transparent shutter disk 124 is placed on the carrying platform 120 by the robot 210. Then, it is observed whether the edge 120a of the carrying platform 120 is aligned with the scale 610 of the transparent shutter disk 124. The possible placement of transparent shutter disk 124 over load platform 120 will be discussed below.

Fig. 7A-7E illustrate top views of shutter disk mechanism 200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be appreciated that fig. 7A-7E illustrate some embodiments of the transparent shutter disk 124 according to fig. 6A, however, the transparent shutter disk 124 of fig. 6B may also be applied to the embodiments of fig. 7A-7E.

Referring to fig. 7A, in some embodiments, after the robot 210 is in an automatic mode, the transparent shutter disk 124 is observed to be aligned with the carrier stage 120. The edge 120a of the carrier platform 120 is aligned with the second scale 640 of the transparent shutter disk 124 and the first scale 630 of the transparent shutter disk 124 overlaps the alignment line 121 of the carrier platform 120. It should be noted that the alignment lines 121 of the carrying platform 120 are only examples, and in some embodiments, the carrying platform 120 includes a plurality of alignment lines 121. In detail, the four second graduations 640 in fig. 7A are aligned with the edge 120a of the carrying platform 120. In more detail, the fourth small scale of each second scale 640 is aligned with the edge 120a of the platform 120, and the center point C3 of the transparent shutter disk 124 overlaps the center point C2 of the platform 120. In this case, it means that the robot 210 is automatically mode-aligned without offset, and no additional operations are necessary to complete the calibration of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100. In some embodiments, the diameter D3 of the load platform 120 is less than the diameter D1 of the transparent shutter disk 124. In some embodiments, the diameter D3 of the load platform 120 is equal to the diameter D2 of the arcuate scale 620 of the transparent shutter disk 124. In some embodiments, the diameter D3 of the load platform 120 is less than the diameter D2 of the arcuate scale 620 of the transparent shutter disk 124.

Referring to fig. 7B, in some embodiments, after the robot 210 is in the automatic mode, a rotation of the load platform 120 is observed. The edge 120a of the carrier platform 120 is aligned with the second scale 640 of the transparent shutter disk 124, however, the first scale 630 of the transparent shutter disk 124 does not overlap the alignment line 121 of the carrier platform 120. In detail, the four second graduations 640 in fig. 7B are aligned with the edge 120a of the carrying platform 120. In more detail, the fourth small scale of each second scale 640 is aligned with the edge 120a of the platform 120, and the center point C3 of the transparent shutter disk 124 overlaps the center point C2 of the platform 120. However, the carrying platform 120 is rotated such that the first scale 630 does not overlap with the alignment line 121. In this case, the carrier stage 120 may be rotated by an angle such that the first scale 630 overlaps the alignment line 121 by controlling and adjusting parameters of the carrier stage 120 in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100. In some embodiments, the operation of the parameters of the load-bearing platform 120 includes controlling the parameters on the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 using a computer or a display screen. In some embodiments, after adjusting the parameters of the load platform 120, the robot 210 auto mode is re-executed to see if the edge 120a of the load platform 120 is aligned with the scale 610 of the transparent shutter disk 124. In some embodiments, when the edge 120a of the carrier 120 is not aligned with the scale 610 of the transparent shutter disk 124 (including the arc scale 620 and the first scale 630, or the first scale 630 and the second scale 640), the parameters of the carrier 120 are again adjusted until after the robot 210 auto mode is performed, it is observed that the edge 120a of the carrier 120 is aligned with the scale 610 of the transparent shutter disk 124, so as to complete the calibration of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100.

Referring to fig. 7C, in some embodiments, after the robot 210 performs the auto mode, an offset of the load platform 120 is observed. The edge 120a of the carrier platform 120 is not aligned with the second scale 640 of the transparent shutter disk 124 and the first scale 630 of the transparent shutter disk 124 does not overlap with the alignment line 121 of the carrier platform 120. In detail, the edge 120a of the carrying platform 120 is located at different positions of the second scales 640 of the transparent mask 124, and the center point C3 of the transparent mask 124 does not overlap with the center point C2 of the carrying platform 120. In this case, parameters of the robot 210, the lifter 140, the deposition ring 132, or the cover ring 134 may be adjusted. After the parameters of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 are adjusted, the robot 210 is again operated to automatically perform the automatic mode, and whether the edge 120a of the carrier 120 is aligned with the scale 610 of the transparent mask 124 is observed. In some embodiments, when the edge 120a of the stage 120 is not aligned with the scale 610 of the transparent shutter disk 124 (including the arc scale 620 and the first scale 630, or the first scale 630 and the second scale 640), the parameters of the stage 120 are again adjusted until after the robot 210 auto mode is performed, it is observed that the edge 120a of the stage 120 is aligned with the scale 610 of the transparent shutter disk 124, so as to complete the calibration of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100.

In some embodiments, adjusting parameters of the robot 210 includes holding the robot 210 and adjusting the position of the robot 210. In detail, from the opening 650 of three-quarters of the transparent mask 124, the supporting pad 213 of the robot 210 is held by hand to prevent the robot 210 from sagging to strike the platform 120 to damage the platform 120, the screws 212A on the robot 210 are loosened, the position of the robot 210 is adjusted such that the center point C3 of the transparent mask 124 overlaps the center point C2 of the platform 120, and the screws 212A are locked. It should be appreciated that since the robotic arm 210 remains supporting the transparent shutter disk 124, the alignment feature 214 of the robotic arm 210 substantially overlaps the center point C3 of the transparent shutter disk 124. In such an embodiment, the transparent shutter disk 124 is a sector of a circle, such as a three-quarter circle.

In some embodiments, adjusting parameters of the lift 140, deposition ring 132, or cover ring 134 includes controlling parameters on the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 using a computer or display screen. In such an embodiment, the transparent shutter disk 124 is a complete circle or a sector of a circle, such as a three-quarter circle.

Referring to fig. 7D, in some embodiments, after the robot 210 performs the auto mode, the carrier 120 is observed to be shifted and rotated. The edge 120a of the carrier platform 120 is not aligned with the second scale 640 of the transparent shutter disk 124 and the first scale 630 of the transparent shutter disk 124 does not overlap with the alignment line 121 of the carrier platform 120. In detail, the edge 120a of the carrying platform 120 is located at different positions of the second scales 640 of the transparent mask 124, and the center point C3 of the transparent mask 124 does not overlap with the center point C2 of the carrying platform 120. In addition, one of the alignment lines 121 of the carrier 120 is also not parallel to one of the first graduations 630 of the transparent shutter disk 124. In this case, parameters of the robot 210, the lifter 140, the deposition ring 132, the cover ring 134, or the load table 120 may be adjusted. After the parameters of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 are adjusted, the robot 210 is again operated to automatically perform the automatic mode, and whether the edge 120a of the carrier 120 is aligned with the scale 610 of the transparent mask 124 is observed. In some embodiments, if the edge 120a of the carrier 120 is still not aligned with the scale 610 of the transparent shutter disk 124 (including the arc scale 620 and the first scale 630, or the first scale 630 and the second scale 640), the parameters of the carrier 120 are adjusted again until the alignment of the edge 120a of the carrier 120 with the scale 610 of the transparent shutter disk 124 is observed after the robot 210 auto mode is performed, so as to complete the calibration of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100.

In some embodiments, parameters of the lift 140, deposition ring 132, cover ring 134, or load stage 120 include parameters on the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 that are controlled using a computer or display screen. In some embodiments, parameters of the robot 210 may be adjusted after adjusting parameters of the lift 140, deposition ring 132, cover ring 134, or load stage 120. In some embodiments, parameters of the robot 210 may be adjusted prior to adjusting parameters of the lift 140, deposition ring 132, cover ring 134, or load stage 120.

Referring to fig. 7E, in some embodiments, after the robot 210 performs the auto mode, a horizontal level shift of the load platform 120 is observed. In detail, the center point C3 of the transparent shutter disk 124 overlaps the center point C2 of the carrying platform 120, and the first graduation 630 of the transparent shutter disk 124 overlaps the alignment line 121 of the carrying platform 120, however, the edge 120a of the carrying platform 120 is not aligned with the plurality of second graduations 640. In more detail, the edge 120a of the carrying platform 120 corresponds to the sixth small scale of the second scale 640a and the fourth small scale of the second scales 640b, 640b and 640 c. In some embodiments, this may be due to a horizontal level shift of the load platform 120, as shown in fig. 5. In some embodiments, this may be due to the lifter 140 being uneven, the pin holes 126 being uneven, the cover ring 134 being uneven, the deposition ring 132 or alignment feature 214 being out of tolerance or other reasons, and further affecting the robot 210 being in an automatic mode, resulting in less than expected alignment. If the situation shown in fig. 7E occurs, the parameters of the robot 210, the lifter 140, the deposition ring 132, the cover ring 134, or the carrier stage 120 are adjusted such that the edge 120a of the carrier stage 120 is aligned with the scale 610 of the transparent shutter disk 124, and then the robot 210 auto mode is performed again, and whether the edge 120a of the carrier stage 120 is aligned with the scale 610 of the transparent shutter disk 124 is observed. In some embodiments, if the edge 120a of the carrier 120 is still not aligned with the scale 610 of the transparent shutter disk 124 (including the arc scale 620 and the first scale 630, or the first scale 630 and the second scale 640), the parameters of the carrier 120 are adjusted again until the alignment of the edge 120a of the carrier 120 with the scale 610 of the transparent shutter disk 124 is observed after the robot 210 auto mode is performed, so as to complete the calibration of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100.

The present disclosure provides a calibration method for semiconductor process. With the transparent shutter disk 124, the dummy shutter disk 122 performs the operation of being transferred onto the carrier stage 120 in the automatic mode of the robot 210, and the position of the transparent shutter disk 124 is observed and adjusted to complete the calibration of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100. By using the transparent shutter disk 124 for calibration, arcing warning during cleaning operations prior to the deposition process due to inaccurate alignment of the shutter disk 122 is avoided, thereby improving the efficiency of the overall deposition process. The correction method and transparent shutter disk 124 of the present disclosure can be used in all physical vapor deposition apparatuses. The calibration of the present disclosure may be performed at room temperature and may be performed during installation, maintenance, or repair of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100. Because the transparent shutter disk 124 of the present disclosure is of a fully transparent design, correction of the shutter disk 122 is facilitated.

In some embodiments, the calibration method of the semiconductor process further includes the following operations after adjusting the parameters of the robot. And placing the transparent shielding disc on the bearing platform by using a mechanical arm again. And observing whether the edge of the bearing platform is aligned with a plurality of scales of the transparent shielding disc.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises adjusting a parameter associated with the carrier when the edge of the carrier is not aligned with the scales of the transparent shutter disk, wherein the parameter comprises at least one of a lift, a deposition ring, or a cover ring.

In some embodiments, the calibration method further comprises recording a parameter setting of the robot after the edge of the carrier is aligned with the scales of the transparent shutter disk, and using the parameter setting to place a shutter disk on the carrier by the robot.

In some embodiments, adjusting the parameter of the robot includes holding the robot and adjusting at least one screw of the robot to correct the position of the robot.

In some embodiments, the step of observing whether the edge of the load-bearing platform is aligned with the plurality of graduations of the transparent shutter disk further comprises adjusting a parameter associated with the load-bearing platform when the edge of the load-bearing platform is not aligned with the plurality of graduations of the transparent shutter disk, wherein the parameter comprises at least one of a lifter, a deposition ring, or a cover ring.

In some embodiments, the step of observing whether the edge of the load platform is aligned with the plurality of scales of the transparent shutter disk further comprises adjusting a parameter of the robot arm when the edge of the load platform is not aligned with the plurality of scales of the transparent shutter disk.

In some embodiments, the transparent shutter disk is a complete circle or a fan-shaped circle.

Although the present disclosure has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain embodiments, other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.

Claims

1. A correction method, comprising:

a transparent shielding disc is arranged on a bearing platform by using a mechanical arm, wherein the transparent shielding disc is a sector-shaped circle with an opening, the transparent shielding disc comprises a plurality of small scales and two first scales, the small scales are positioned on the two first scales and are arranged adjacent to an arc-shaped edge of the transparent shielding disc in an equal division manner, the two first scales intersect at a center point of the transparent shielding disc, and a first diameter of the transparent shielding disc is larger than a second diameter of the bearing platform;

observing whether one edge of the bearing platform is aligned with the small scales of the transparent shielding disc; and

when the edge of the bearing platform is not aligned with the small scales of the transparent shielding disc, a parameter of the mechanical arm is adjusted.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after adjusting the parameter of the robot:

the mechanical arm is used for placing the transparent shielding disc on the bearing platform again; and

observing whether the edge of the bearing platform is aligned with the small scales of the transparent shielding disc.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a parameter associated with the load table when the edge of the load table is not aligned with the plurality of small graduations of the transparent shutter disk, wherein the parameter comprises at least one of an elevator, a deposition ring, or a cover ring.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording a parameter setting of the robot after the edge of the carrier is aligned with the plurality of scales of the transparent shutter disk, and using the parameter setting to place a shutter disk on the carrier by the robot.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the parameter of the robot includes holding the robot through the opening and adjusting at least one screw of the robot to correct the position of the robot.

6. A correction method, comprising:

a transparent shielding disc is placed on a bearing platform by using a mechanical arm, wherein the transparent shielding disc is a sector-shaped circle with an opening, the transparent shielding disc comprises a plurality of small scales and two first scales, the small scales are positioned on the two first scales and are uniformly arranged on an arc-shaped edge adjacent to the transparent shielding disc, and the two first scales are intersected at a center point of the transparent shielding disc;

observing whether one edge of the bearing platform is aligned with the small scales of the transparent shielding disc;

recording a parameter of the mechanical arm when the edge of the bearing platform is aligned with the small scales of the transparent shielding disc;

Placing a shutter disk on the bearing platform by using the recorded parameters of the mechanical arm so as to execute a cleaning operation; and

a wafer is placed on the carrier to perform a deposition process.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of observing whether the edge of the load platform is aligned with the plurality of small graduations of the transparent shutter disk further comprises adjusting a parameter associated with the load platform when the edge of the load platform is not aligned with the plurality of small graduations of the transparent shutter disk, wherein the parameter comprises at least one of a lift, a deposition ring, or a cover ring.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of observing whether the edge of the load platform is aligned with the plurality of small graduations of the transparent shutter disk further comprises adjusting a parameter of the robot when the edge of the load platform is not aligned with the plurality of small graduations of the transparent shutter disk.

9. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, characterized by comprising:

the transparent shielding disc is a sector-shaped circle with an opening, is provided with a plurality of small scales and two first scales, wherein the small scales are positioned on the two first scales and are equally arranged on an arc-shaped edge adjacent to the transparent shielding disc, and the two first scales are intersected at a center point of the transparent shielding disc;

A mechanical arm for transporting the transparent shielding plate, wherein the mechanical arm comprises a screw fixed on a support frame; and

a bearing platform for bearing the transparent shielding plate.

10. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the opening has an included angle between 45 degrees and 135 degrees.